D. Krombach’s abduction
D. Krombach was abducted on Saturday October 17th outside his home of Scheidegg. He was found in the morning of October 18th in Mulhouse, tied up to a door railing, after the police had received an anonymous call. On that Saturday, A. Bamberski was in Pechbusque, taking part in an assembly of prayers which takes place every Saturday at 6.30 p.m. in the church. Therefore he is not the author of the abduction, but he gave his consent to the offer of an unknown person. Anton Krazniki, a Kosovari 38 years old, acted with two accomplices. However incredible this may seem, he wanted to help A. Bamberski in a disinterested way, out of sympathy for his struggle, without probably measuring all the consequences of his act. A. Bamberski had made himself known in the area, and D. Krombach had enemies there. Not being a professional kidnapper, A. Krazniqi dropped a piece of paper on the very spot of his forcible action, which led to his immediate identification. The 19000 euros that the police found in A. Bamberski’s hotel room were to be used as a compensation that he had the intention of giving him.

At the moment A. Krazniqi is in France, free but on probation, waiting for his trial in Mulhouse, like A. Bamberski.

Consequences of the abduction for A. Bamberski
The police searched his home, seized his hard disk and part of his accounting documents. He is free but he too is on probation as he was indicted in Mulhouse for abduction, arbitrary confinement, assault and battery, criminal conspiracy. All this may bring him years of imprisonment. We hope that the sanction will be minimal, but A. Bamberski has accepted this risk knowingly.
The police traced a second accomplice of the abduction, a Georgian who is at the moment kept in Mulhouse. A. Bamberski and A. Krazniqi were confronted on December 9th 2009: Their versions tally, which augurs well for the future. Those who know Z. Bamberski never doubted that he spoke the truth, but of course justice wants evidence.
Germany asked France to extradite A. Bamberski : Although she herself always refused to hand over Krombach on the pretext (improper) of “non bis in idem” (one does not judge a second time a case already judged), she claims the right to prosecute A. Bamberski who is already charged in France with the abduction of Krombach. France gave an outright refusal to this strange request. Perhaps not so strange after all… One must know that German authorities hold a position of systematic protection of their nationals. This is officially denounced : a commission of European experts has assessed the way countries have adapted their judiciary systems to European directives. The evaluation of these experts, who cannot be suspected of malevolent intentions, is unambiguous as far as Germany is concerned : “impunity guaranteed to nationals”, necessity of changing the legislation ( see the site of the Council of Europe ).

The prosecution in Mulhouse.
There will be four accused persons: A. Bamberski, A. Kraszniqi, K. Bablovani, and an Austrian journalist who helped Krazniqi on the phone on the night of the abduction. A. Bamberski’s counsels have finally obtained a second evaluation by two experts of the permanent partial invalidity of 20% that was formerly attributed to Krombach on the occasion of his abduction.
The trial does not loom in a near future ( maybe in a year ?). It may last a week.